ASIAN SOCIAL POLITIC - JAKARTA - IN A statement that baffled politicians and analysts, State Secretary Sudi Silalahi dismissed rampant speculations on Wednesday that the escalating rifts among members of the ruling coalition would lead to a Cabinet shake-up.
'As of today, the President has never officially stated that a Cabinet reshuffle would happen in the near future. Although, the President previously said that a reshuffle could happen if necessary,' Mr Sudi said at a press conference at the President's office as reported by Antara.
Mr Sudi stressed that the names of people reportedly tipped as candidates for certain ministerial posts did not come from the government. 'The President is still evaluating the performance of all Cabinet members. A change in the Cabinet composition is still possible, though, but based on performance and integrity pacts,' Mr Sudi said.
The statement came only a day after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyno met with Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie. The meeting resulted in a resolution that the Golkar Party would stay in the coalition, though the party had repeatedly taken a contrary stance to the government and allegedly tried to undermine the coalition twice by initiating inquiries into the Bank Century bailout and the rampant tax corruption.
Despite mounting pressure from members of his Democratic Party, Mr Yudhoyono seemed reluctant to expel Golkar and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) from the ruling coalition, though the two parties sided with the opposition in a recent bid at the House of Representatives to establish a legislative inquiry into corruption at the tax office.
The Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), which sided with the Democratic Party in a dramatic vote that ended with Golkar and its allies losing the bid to establish the inquiry team, had been rumored to replace the PKS in the coalition. -- THE JAKARTA POST/ANN
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